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Use EnumClass(text) when the string is an enum member’s value, and EnumClass[ text ] when it is the member’s name. For example, Color("red") and Color["RED"] both return Color.RED, but they look up different things.

Define an enum and convert a string

Python’s enum module supports two common lookups. In this example, RED is the member name and "red" is its value:

from enum import Enum

class Color(Enum):
    RED = "red"
    GREEN = "green"

by_value = Color("red")  # Color.RED
by_name = Color["RED"]   # Color.RED

Both expressions return an enum member, not a plain string. Read its declared name with .name and its associated value with .value. See the Python Enum HOWTO and the enum library reference.

Choose lookup by value or by name

What the input string represents Lookup If no match exists
The member’s value, such as "red" Color("red") Raises ValueError
The member’s name, such as "RED" Color["RED"] Raises KeyError

Use the form that matches your input contract. A member’s name and value can differ, so passing a name to the value lookup—or a value to the name lookup—does not make them interchangeable. Python documents value lookup through the enum class call and name lookup through item access; see the HOWTO, library reference, and PEP 435.

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Handle strings that do not match

Catch the specific exception for the lookup you use when invalid input is an expected possibility:

try:
    color = Color(raw_value)  # raw_value is an enum value
except ValueError:
    color = None

try:
    color = Color[raw_name]   # raw_name is an enum member name
except KeyError:
    color = None

If invalid input should be rejected, allow the exception to propagate or raise an application-level error with useful context. Avoid catching broad Exception, which can conceal unrelated errors.

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Decide whether to normalize input

Name lookup uses the supplied name. If your input contract accepts names without regard to case, normalize explicitly before indexing; decide separately whether to trim whitespace. For example:

color = Color[raw_name.strip().upper()]

This works when enum names use the corresponding uppercase convention and your application intends to accept trimmed, case-insensitive input. Normalization is your application’s policy, not a built-in case-insensitive enum lookup.

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Use StrEnum when string behavior is part of the design

A regular Enum with string values already supports value conversion such as Color("red"). Python’s StrEnum, available from Python 3.11, is for cases where members should also behave as strings in many contexts; you do not need it just to convert a string to an enum.

Some standard-library locations check for an exact str type, so use str(member) there if needed. String operations on a StrEnum member produce ordinary strings, not enum members. Check the Enum HOWTO and library reference for details.

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Account for aliases when values repeat

By default, enum members may share a value. The additional names become aliases: value lookup returns the canonical member, iteration omits aliases, and the read-only __members__ mapping includes every name, including aliases. If repeated values should be an error, apply @unique to the enum definition. The behavior is described in the HOWTO, library reference, and PEP 435.

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